Cotton-gin feeder



July 2, 1929. w. 1.. HANCOCK COTTON GIN FEEDER s Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 6, 1928 July 2, 1929. w. L. HANCOCK COTTON GIN FEEDER 7 Filed Sept. 6, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet m w. M m H L m m M Q m W. L. HANCOCK COTTON) GIN FEEDER July 2, 1929.

Filed Sept. 6, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM 1.. HANCOCK, or DALLAS, TEXAS, assrenon ro THE MURRAY COMPANY,

or DALLAS, TEXAS, AconPonA'rIon on TEXAS. i

COTTON-GIN FEEDER. v

Application filed september 6,1928 Serial No. 304,267.

The invention has to do with new and useful ini 'n'ovements nreotton gin :teeders.

The invention is an advance 1n the art which is typified by such Letters Patent as feeder drum of the solid type into a drum of the air-blowing type, whereby an efficient cleaning operation is carried out, but increased cleaning andfeeding capacity is obtained and economy in manufacture is practised.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning drum of simplified construction having air collecting buckets at its ends contiguous to inlets, whereby air is forced into the drum by the rotation thereof; together with deflectors at the peripheral air discharge openings, whereby back-lash is sub-- stantially eliminated and the cleaning action is improved.

A. further feature of the invention is a suction conveyor for carrying oil' the dirt, dust, etc, removed from the cotton, whereby the lower portion of the casing is kept clean and the foreign matter is quickly removed A. still further object of the invention is to provide feeder rolls of improved and substantial construction wherein the longitudinal blades are more solidly seated and less likely toshear otf, under excessive loads.

An advantageous feature of the invention resides in a look slot running transversely of the feeder hopper, wherebythe feed of the cotton may be observed and through which a stick may be inserted to spread the cotton, when necessary; together with a door which may be opened to give access to the feed.

A construction designed to carryout the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily undciy stood from a reading of thefollowing epoch fication and by reference to theac'companying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section view of a feeder constructed in accordancewith the invention,

View of the same,

mounted on a gin stand,

ig. Qisa longitudinal vertical sectional Fig. 3 is an end View showing the feeder Fig.4 is an end view of one of the feeder rolls,

view of the same, i

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional details of the drum..

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a feeder casing having a longitudinal hopper 11 at its top. The hopper has a head 12 adapted to lit the underside of an ordinary belt distributor (not shown). The head has flared Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional ends 12 so to permit the belt distributor to dip thereinto Wooden guard plates 11" are mounted in the flared ends of the hopper head to prevent the distributor spikes striking the metal. Within the casing 10 is mounted a drum 13 which is fastened upon a drive shaft 14 journaled in the ends of the casing. A curved screen 15 disposed longitudinally of the casing'is preferably arranged conceit tri-cally oi thedrum and spaced therefromi saidscreen being locatedunder and at the rear sideof the drum; i The casinglO is spaced from the screen 15 to provide a curved flue A which discharges into the hopperbottom 16 of the casing,

which bottom is formedwith a longitudinally extending conveyor trough 17. Just above the druniand on each side of the vertical center line thereot feed rolls 18 are mounted on shafts 19, extending longitudinally of the casing at the bottom of the hopper. The rolls 7 are driven toward each other and spaced so as to feed the cotton downwardly therebetween onto the drum 13, which revolves in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) or rearwardly toward the screen 15, The forward roll 18 is contignous to the front wallet thehoppenwhile to the rollbox of the cot-ton gin. [At thetop of the entrance to this chute a longitudinal deflector 21 is supported and acts to prevent cotton being carried upwardly by the revolv- 111g rum r The" drum 1'3 is composed of a cylindrical shell or jacket 22 preferably, but not necessarily, formed of longitudinal wooden sectors ting openings25 are provided in the ends of v the'casing and the heads 23 have spaced air admitting ports 26, while the heads 24 have similar ports 27. Rectangular air collecting buckets 28 are secured on the outer faces of the heads 23 so as to overhang the ports 26.

Each bucket is open on its advanceside relative to the rotation of the drum and inclines from its open end toward the surface'of the driun seas to collect or'pocket the air and divert it into the correlated opening 26when the drum is revolved.

' By setting the end heads 23 inwardly from the ends of the drum, the said ends may revolve Joo'ntiguously to'the ends of the casing '10 and at, the same time ample spaces for the buckets and the collection of air is provided at each end of the drum. The air which on tersf through the openings 25 is diverted by the buckets into the drum and is free to pass the length thereof by reason of the ports 27. The drum is provided with longitudinal rows of perforations 29 spaced circumferentially ofthe drum and on the outer surface'of said drum a longitudinal deflector 30 is mounted contiguous to each row of perforations' and-on the trailing side with relation to the 'rotation of the drum, whereby air emitted from said perforations will be deflected out.- wardly and in the direction of rotation of the drum, It is preferable to form the defleetors from, angle members securely fastene d oirthe-surface .of the drum, but this Construction is subject to variation. I The entire outer surface of the drum between the deflectors 3O is studded with pins or spikes 31, either instaggered relation or otherwise, as isbestsuited' for the purpose.

When the drum is rotated, these spikespass in close prpximity to the deflector 21 and the rolls 18 and contiguously to the screen 15. Y r

In theffront side of the hopper 11 a door is hinged and below this door isa narrow longitudinal slot 33, which is just above the rolls, As the cotton is fed into the hopper and'pass'es to the rolls, the feed may be observed through the slot 33 andsuch slot may beftermefd flookslot. Vilhere the cotton is runninglight or thin, a stick may be inserted in said slot and used to spread the cotton along the rolls. On the inside of the door a downwardly inclined deflector plate 34 is fastened and a flange 35 is extended along the bottom of the slot so as to overhang the front roll 18. These parts coact with the deflector 19 in diverting the falling cotton from the sides of the hopper and the casing and thus directing it onto the rolls. The door 32 may be opened to give access to the hopper.

An important feature of the invention is the construction of the rolls 18, as is shown in detail in Figs. 4 and .5. Each roll includes three spiders 36, one at each end and one at the center. Each spider comprises a plurality of flat radial arms 37 between which webs 38 are cast. Each web extends from the face of one arm to the outer edge of the next arm and has its upper edge at substantially right-angles to the face of the arm from which it extends.

The spiders are rigidly fastened on the shaft 19 with the arms in longitudinal alinement. Longitudinal beater blades or ribs 3!), preferably in the form of angles, are fastened to the faces of the arms 37 and rest upon edges of the webs. This provides a very substantial construction and by reason of the websupports the blades are firmly seated and are not likely to shear off. Within the blades and between the spiders a pair of core cylinders 40 are mounted on the shaft 19 and form additional supports for the blades, as well as providing bottoms for the pockets or troughs formed between the blades.

The ends of the casing 10 are extended down to form legs 41, whereby the feeder may be rigidly mounted on a gin stand 42, as is shown in Fig. 3. When the feeder is so mounted the chute 20 is adjusted to discharge the seed cotton into the gin. In the trough 17 of the hopper bottom 16 a screw conveyor 43 is mounted so as to discharge into a spent 44 at one end of the casing 10. The spout is connected by a trunk 45 with an air suetion fan 46, whereby the matter discharged by the conveyor is carried off by the air suction.

The feed rolls 18 are suitably driven so as to rotate toward each other and the conveyor 43 is driven by a. belt 47 passing round a pulley 48 on the drum shaft14 and a pulley 49 on the shaft of the conveyor 43. Motion maybe imparted to the drum shaft in any suitable manner, as by a pulley 50 connected with a suitable driving means.

7 The operation is as follows: The feeder being actuated from a suitable source of power, seed cotton is delivered from the belt distributor (not shown) into the hopper head 12, or it may he received from some other source. Seed cotton is delivered by the head into the hopper 11 and guided by the deflectors 19 and 34 onto the rolls 18. The cotton is engaged by the beater blades and strictly compressed into a loose bat, which is delivered downwardly onto the drum 13. a

This bat is engaged by the spikes 31and carried rearwardly under the rear roll 18 and toward the screen 15. When the feeder is placed in operation the revolving buckets 28 will collect air admitted through the open ings 25 and divert this air into the drum 18. The suction created by the fan 46 through the parts 44 and 45 Will tend to create a draft of air through the lower portion of the easing. The air which is admitted to the drum will be discharged through the perforations 29, due to centrifugal action, and this air will. be deflected radially and in the direction of rotation of the drum by the deflectors 30. The air thus discharged from the drum will pass through the cotton contiguous to the screen 15, thereby removing dirt, dust and trash and thus cleaning said cotton.

The air from Within the drum and which is emitted through the perforations 29, tends to lift and spread the cotton and also to hold it against the screen 15. The screen 15 is preferably so spaced from the drum that the cotton will be carried around the screen by the spikes 31 and held and rubbed against the screen until carried therefrom and delivered to the chute 20.

During this passage of the cotton from inlet to outlet it is held toward the screen 15 either against gravity by the air currents, or by the air currents, aided by gravity when the cotton is below the center of the drum, and the cotton is subjected not only to the cleaning action of the spikes and screen but, as well, the cleaning action of the air passing through the cotton and the screen.

The dust, dirt and trash blown from the cotton and carried through the screen 15 into thefiue A is discharged into the hopper bottom 16 and the trough 17 and by the combined action of the conveyor 43 and suction fan 46 is carried off through the parts 44 and 45. The blowing of air through the cotton will tend to carry off moisture as well as extraneous matter. The deflectors 30 have a tendency to concentrate the emitted air and direct it against the screen 15, as well as also tending to reduce backdashing of the air as the drum revolves. It is pointed out that the suction created by the fan 46 is not sufficient to interfere with the air discharged from the drum and the main purpose of the air suction is to carry off trash from the conveyor.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well as modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, is

1. As a sub-combination in a cotton feeder, a rotatable hollow drum having a multiplicity of perforations in its peripheral walls and air inlets at its ends, and means at the into said inlets when said drum is revolved.

2. As a sub-combinationin a cotton feeder, a rotatable hollow drum having a n'iultiplicity of perforations in its peripheral walls and air inlets at itsends, and exterior elements contiguous to the air inlets. of the drum for diverting air through said inlets when said drum is revolved.

3. As a sub-combination in a cotton feeder, a rotatable hollow drum having a multiplicity of air discharge perforations in its peripheral walls and air inlets at its ends, means for delivering air through the drum inlets, and deflectors on the outer surface of the drum contiguous to theperforations for diverting the discharged air.

4. As a sub-combination in a cotton feeder, a rotatable hollow drum having a multiplicity of perforations in its peripheralwalls and air inlets at its ends, and air collecting buckets overhanging the air inlets on the outside of the drum for collecting air and for diverting air through said inlets when said drum is rotated.

5. As a sub-combination in a cotton feeder, a rotatable hollow drum having a multiplicity of air discharge perforations in its peripheral walls arranged in rows longitudinally of the drum,'radial deflectors mounted on the outer surface of the drum contiguous to the perforations and extending longitudinally of the drum for diverting the discharged air, the drum having air inlets at its ends, and means on the ends of the drum for diverting air through said air inlets when the drum is rotated.

6. As a sub-combination in a cotton feeder, a rotatable hollow drum having a multiplicity of air discharge perforations in its peripheral walls arranged in rows longitudinally of the drum, radial deflectors mounted on the outer surface of the drum contiguous to the perforations and extending longitudinally of the drum for diverting the discharged air, the drum having air inlets at its ends, and external buckets overhanging the air inlets on the ends of the drum for collecting air and diverting it through said inlets when the drum is rotated.

7. In a cotton feeder, a screened casing having a feed hopper, an air blowing drum rotatably mounted in the casing, and a pair of feed rolls rotatably mounted at the hopper, each including a plurality of spiders, continuous radial blades mounted on said spiders, said blades being formed of angle members seated 011 said spiders, core cylinders within the blades, and a shaft on which the spiders and cylinders are mounted.

8. In a cotton feeder, a casing, a drum within the casing, a hopper at the top of the casin a hopper head on the hopper having flared ends for permitting a belt distributor to dip into the head, and non-metallic guard plates secured to the inner surfaces of the flared ends of the head for providing contact surfaces for the belt distributor.

9. In a cotton feeder, a hollow rotary spiked 1 drum provided with a plurality of peripheral air outlets, a screen contiguous to the circum- WILLIAM L. HANCOCK. 

